Composition for chemical heaters



July 29, 1924. 1,502,744

0. L. PERRAULT COMPOSITION FOR CHEMICAL HEATERS Filed June 30 1922 awwentoz ado mar m, My; wpd/ Pllcnted' uly 29, 1924.

1,502,744 PATENT OFFICE.

08053. L. rrzamunr, or ALBANY, NEW roan, .ASSIGNOR TO consrm new rear:

- coaromrron, DIE-ALBANY, nnw'roax, A coaro'aa'rron or NEW YORK.

COMPOSITION FOR CHEMICAL HEATERS.

Application filed June 80, 1922. Serial No. 571,981;

To allwhom it may concern:

Be it known that I, OSCAR L. PERRAULT, a citizen of the United States, a resident of Albany, in the county of Albany and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Composition for Chemical Heaters, of which the following is a specification.

The invention has for an object to provide a chemical heater which will produce a long sustained and even heat without giving off undue quantities of gases having objectionable odors or deleterious ac tion.

Further objects and, advantages of the invention will be in part obvious and in part specifically pointed out in the description hereinafter contained, which taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, discloses certain preferred embodiments thereof. Such embodiments, however, are to be considered as merely illustrative of its principle. In the drawings' Fi re 1 is a perspective viewof a chemical eater container constructed in accordance with my invention, and

Figure 2 1s a longitudinal section taken on line 2-2 of Figure 1.

The heat producing ingredients of the heater are. carried by a container 1 which I prefer to make of flexible rubber-like material, such as ara-rubber, which will be impervious to t e action of the heat reducing substances, and which preferab y is constructed in fiat bag-like form wherebythe container will be suitable for sick room water bottle is customarilyl purposes similar to those for which a hot employed in that it will occupy but a sma amount of space and will be sufiiciently flexible to be applied to an invalid without causing discom ort A suitable charging 0 ing for the con-, tainer will be understood ai associated theme with, such 0 enin in the resent instance being locate in t 'e top wa 2 of the container and consisting of a threaded-neck member3 suitably secured to the*-.,wall 2 of the container as by rivets 4. The wall 2 of the container I prefer to construct of a layer 5 of canvas or other suitable stron fabric havin inner and outer coatings 6 0 rubber or ru wise secured thereto. A screw threaded cap 7 engages over the neck member 3 previously duces ammonia which may be given 0 r-like material frictioned or other-' described and efl ects a substantially tight.

closure for the container, preventing leakage of the heat producing ingredient" from the container but still permitting a suificient quantity of the gases produced by the chemical reaction within the container to pass out therefrom, thus preventing the chemical reaction from unduly inflating the container. The cap 7 preferably is of dimensions rendering it suitable to serve as a measure cup for the heat'producing ingredients. 7 I prefer to generate the heat within the container 1 by combining an ammonia salt, preferably ammonium chloride (NH Cl) with comminuted iron or iron oxide (FeO) in the gresence of water, the amount of water a pending upon how long a period of. service is desired; if a relatively high heat over a short period is desired a'com aratively small amountof water will be ad ed, whereas the addition of larger amounts of water will produce a lower heat over a period of several days.

I prefer to employ within the container 1 a medium for preventing reaction between the iron and" ammonium chloride from becomin too much localized, and to insure that t e reaction will be substantially complete throughout the entire container. As-

shown in Figure 2 one or more layers 8 of filter aper, blotting paper or similar water distri uting material may be inserted within the container and when the water is added the absorbent layers will serve to s read it into more extensive contact with t e heat producing ingredients and equalize the amount of water in the difierent parts of the container. It'will be understood that other substances, such as sawdust, may be used in addition to or as a substitute for the sheets 8 of paper.

If heat be generated by substances of the class above referred to, the reaction to such an extent as to render the heater unded to the above ingredients desuitable for many uses. In accordance with chloride in the reaction, the amount of am .monia given ofi is reduced to an unob j ectionable value. The compound may be prepared by mixing the ingredients in th following proportions by weight:

Parts.

NI-LGI 1 OuO 2 Fe-FeO 8 Or, if desired, a double chloride of copper and ammonia (CuCl 2NH Cl2I-I O) may be employed to bring'th e copper or copper oxide into the reaction in such a way as to cut down the giving ofi' of ammonia. The reactions taking place when water is added to the above ingredients are probably somewhat complicated and will not be discussed in detail. It will also be understood that the sheets 8 of moisture distributing ma terial will assist in reducing the amount of ammonia given off by trapping the gas within the container and bringing it into intimate contact with the water whereby it may be absorbed.

I prefer to cover the cap 7 by means of a fiap 9 with moisture or chemical compounds, which if the flap be employed, will largely be deposited on the inner surface thereof without wetting or injuring objects surrounding the container.

It is preferred to employ copper oxide or copper in the presence of oxygen, as a re agent to revent the giving off of ammonia gas but it will be understood that other oxydizing or neutralizing agents may be used for this purpose, such as, lead peroxide, bleaching powder, potassium permanganate, potassium perchlorate, hydrogen peroxide, tartaric acid, citric acid, succinic acid or oxalic acid.

While certain specific embodiments of my invention have been disclosed it will be obvious that many changes may be made neoa'zee therein without departin from its princigles as defined'in the 0 owing claims.

1. A composition for chemical heaters comprisin 1ron, ammonium chlorid, and. a reagent a apted to counteract the giving off of ammonia gas by chemical reaction between the iron and ammonium chlorid.

2. A composition for chemical heaters comprising iron, ammonium chlorid and copper in the presence of oxygen.

3. The combination set forth in claim 1, wherein said composition includes a double chlorid of copper and ammonia.

4. A composition for chemical heaters comprising 1ron, ammonium chlorid and a water absorbent substance contained within the body of said composition.

5. A composition for chemical heaters comprising 1ron, ammonium chlorid and a finely divided porous water absorbent substance eommingled therewith,

6. The combination set forth in claim 5, wherein sawdust is employed as said water absorbent substance.

7. A composition for chemical heaters comprising iron, ammonium chlorid, a reagent adapted to counteract the ammonia gas given off by chemical reaction between the iron and ammonium chlorid, and a water absorbent substance.

-8. A composition for chemical heaters comprising iron, ammonium chlorid, a reagent adapted -to counteract the ammonia gas given off by chemical reaction between the iron and ammonium chlorid, and a finely divided porous water absorbent substance commingled therewith.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing, I have hereunto set my hand this 19th day of June, 1922.

OSCAR L. PERRAULT. 

